mthew

Three days after seeing three nestling American Kestrels in their nest cavity, I spotted the male parent devouring a bird atop the main entrance to Green-Wood. A Mockingbird was diving at him and the resident Monk Parakeets were clamoring. The little falcon flew off with the remains of the prey and I followed… toward the…

Well, tidal salt-marsh flats. Starting tomorrow, Backyard & Beyond posts will be every other day, more or less.

New to me, that is. Let’s start with this one, barely more than a silhouette. Still, those interesting antennae and orangish palps make this a Little Devil Moth/Dichomeris nonstrigella. So far the only iNaturalist observation of the species in NYC/Long Island. Ash Bullet Gall Midge/Dasineura pellex. Spilodiscus arcuatus. A resident of dunes, which surprised me…

Pyromorpha dimidiata pair.

At least three American Kestrel babies in here. This represents a lot of lizards.

Osprey do like to check out Valley Water in Green-Wood. American Kestrel update: this female had just flown something edible towards the nest but didn’t enter it. She returned from over the building, so I wondered if there was a fledgling up there somewhere. Soon afterwards, I saw the male with what might have been…

Yum! Fledgling Common Grackle agrees. Elsewhere and about a week earlier: a fresh Northern Mockingbird about a foot from the nest. And another N. Mockingbird nest.

Two Eastern Chipmunks/Tamias striatus in Prospect Park yesterday. Although only a few blocks separate Prospect and Green-Wood Cemetery, there are rarely any Chipmunk sightings in the latter. Not enough woods, if you ask me.

I’ve finally seen it in action. (A day after almost getting it in focus!) This Megachile bee explored about three other leaves of this bramble/Rubus before beginning to cut into this one. By my photos’ timestamps, this took 18 seconds. No wonder it’s so elusive. And now it’s back to the nest hole… The complete…